Systems and methods for playing basketball

ABSTRACT

A method for playing basketball in a court having first and second sidelines and a basket located at each opposed end of the court on a long axis of the rectangle includes providing a reduced court with third and fourth sidelines within the first and second sidelines, and a central line (fifth line) along a length of the court, wherein the third and fourth sidelines define an area between 70% to 80% of a regular court; and selectively playing a first game type based on the central line with two classes of players with between 4 and 16 players or playing a second game type inside the third and fourth sidelines with 8 or less players.

This application is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 14/756,324 filed May 1, 2014, and claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 64/499,680 filed Feb. 3, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Basketball is a team sports played between two teams of five players in a rectangular court where each team tries to score by throwing the ball into the opponent's goal, which is an elevated netted hoop called the basket. This team sport is one of the most popular and widely viewed sports across the globe.

Basketball is played on a rectangular court, and the American National Basketball Association (NBA) has standardized court dimensions of ninety four feet length by a width of fifty feet, as shown in FIG. 1. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) uses a slightly smaller dimension of ninety one point eighty six feet length by forty nine point twenty one feet. The Women National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) dimensions are the same as National Basketball Association. Standard U.S. High School court size is eighty four feet length by fifty feet width. The dimensions for U.S. Junior School are seventy four foot length by forty two foot width. On all of these levels the rim height is the same at ten feet about the ground.

For example, with NBA specifications, a free throw lane is marked at each end of the court with dimensions and markings as shown on the court diagram. All boundary lines are part of the lane; lane space marks and neutral zone marks are not. The color of the lane space marks and neutral zones shall contrast with the color of the boundary lines. The areas identified by the lane space markings are 2 inches by 8 in and the neutral zone marks are 12 inches by 8 inches. A free throw line is drawn (2 inches wide) across each of the circles indicated in the court diagram. It is parallel to the end line and is 15 ft from the plane of the face of the backboard. The three-point field goal area has parallel lines 3 feet from the sidelines, extending from the baseline and an arc of 23 feet, 9 inches from the middle of the basket which intersects the parallel lines. Four hash marks are drawn (2 inches wide) perpendicular to the sideline on each side of the court and 28 feet from the baseline. These hash marks extend 3 feet onto the court. Four hash marks are drawn (2 inches wide) perpendicular to the baseline on each side of the free throw lane line. These hash marks are 3 feet from the free throw lane line and extend 6 inches onto the court. Four hash marks are drawn (2 inches wide) parallel to the baseline on each side of the free throw circle. These hash marks are 13 feet from the baseline and 3 feet from the free throw lane lines and are 6 feet in length. Two hash marks are drawn (2 inches wide) perpendicular to the sideline, in front of the scorer's table, and 4 feet on each side of the midcourt line. This will designate the Substitution Box area. A half-circle is created 4′ from the center of the baskets.

There are other dimensions which include the Center Circle which is used in the tip off to start a game or in what is called a “jump ball” if called by a referee near the Center Circle. The Center Circle is exactly in the center of the court halfway between the width and length of the court. There is also a Three point line beyond which a team and player is given three points instead of the regular two points for a successful shot. The distance for the NBA is twenty two feet. For the FIBA and WNBA the distance is twenty one point sixty five feet. For the NCAA the distance is twenty point seventy five feet and for high school, nineteen point seventy five feet. The Three point line is a semi circle of the different distances on each end of the court. The foul line where a player shoots a “free throw” is a standard fifteen feet for all levels of play except for the FIBA which is fifteen point zero nine feet.

The three second lane is sixteen feet for the NBA and WNBA, sixteen point zero eight feet for the FIBA and twelve feet for both the NCAA as well as high school as well as junior high school.

The dimensions have been developed to suit the play of a five on five game but are not ideal for a one on one game. They are not ideal also for a two on two, three on three or four on four game. Consequently, most games which do not involve five on five or ten players are usually played using only half the court where both sides use the same basket.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a method for playing basketball in a court having first and second sidelines and a basket located at each opposed end of the court on a long axis of the rectangle includes providing a reduced court with third and fourth sidelines within the first and second sidelines creating a Narrow Court Game (NCG), and a central line (fifth line) along a length of the court Creating Split Court Games (SCG), (NCG)wherein the third and fourth sidelines define an area between 70% to 80% of a regular court; and selectively playing a first game type (SCG) based on the central line with two classes of players with between 4 and 16 players or playing a second game type(NCG) inside the third and fourth sidelines with 8 or less players.

In another aspect, a method of playing a basketball game includes providing two opposing teams, each having from one to four players, respectively, on a substantially narrowed rectangular basketball court(NCG), the court having a basket located at each opposed end of the court on a long axis of the rectangle, wherein boundaries of the court are narrowed on a short axis of the rectangle to substantially between 70% and 80% of a full court short axis; and playing the basketball game.

Advantages of the instant basketball game system may include one or more of the following. The full court narrow format enables various team sizes to be able to play basketball. The narrower full court format also challenges the player's basketball skill and helps improve performance and ball handling skills. The narrower full court increases the time spent running during the game improving the player's endurance and stamina. The narrower court also makes it more challenging and enjoyable for playing a full court two on two game. The narrower court makes it more challenging and enjoyable for playing a full court three on three game. The narrower court makes it more challenging and enjoyable for playing a full court four on four game. The narrower court can be an incentive for people to exercise since merely jogging or running becomes boring to some people as compared to a game sport. Though there are no physical restrictions on a full court game on a court with a standard with, and millions of games of one-on-one to four-on-four basketball are played every year rarely do players play full court with less than five-on-five games, but opt for a half court format.

Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following description and accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a conventional or regular basketball court as specified by the NBA.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary basketball court(NCG) with first and second side lines and inner third and fourth side lines positioned between the first and second side lines.

FIG. 3 shows another exemplary basketball court (SCG) with first and second side lines, inner third and fourth side lines, and a central line there between.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary process to play with the courts of FIG. 2 or 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary basketball court with first and second side lines and inner third and fourth side lines positioned between the first and second side lines. The court of FIG. 1 has the following components:

-   -   11 sidelines (“third and fourth sidelines”) NCG     -   12 half court line     -   13 conventional sidelines (“first and second sidelines”)     -   14 basket     -   15 end line     -   16 foul line     -   17 lane line     -   18 center circle     -   21 match boundary     -   22 match boundary

In contrast with FIG. 1, the court of FIG. 2 has additional sidelines 11 positioned inside the regular sidelines 13. The game is played inside the full court narrow format with the full length of the court, but with reduced width between the sidelines 11.

The boundaries can be as narrow as the width on the sides of the 3 second lanes, or within a foot of the conventional court width, or any dimension in between. Preferably, the boundaries result in a 75% reduction in the full width of the regular court, with the distance from the first sideline 13 to the third sideline 11 being 12.5% of the full width, and the distance from the fourth sideline 11 to the second sideline 13 being 12.5% of the full width, resulting in a 25% reduction in width while maintaining a full length of the court.

In another embodiment, the boundaries result in a 30% reduction in the width, with the distance from the first sideline 13 to the third sideline 11 being 15% of the full width, and the distance from the fourth sideline 11 to the second sideline 13 being 15% of the full width, resulting in a 30% reduction in width while maintaining a full length of the court.

In a further embodiment, the boundaries result in a 20% reduction in the width, with the distance from the first sideline 13 to the third sideline 11 being 10% of the full width, and the distance from the fourth sideline 11 to the second sideline 13 being 10% of the full width, resulting in a 20% reduction in width while maintaining a full length of the court.

In one embodiment, for the full court game played with less than ten players, the game can be played on a conventional NBA, NCAA, high school or junior high school court. The dimensions are similar to a tennis court. In tennis the Doubles court is 36 ft wide, while the Singles court is 27 ft wide, which is an reduction of twenty five percent, nine feet or four and one half feet on each side. Basketball courts are fifty feet wide for NBA, NCAA and high school courts. The same dimension rule applies where it is one quarter narrower than a conventional court or twelve and one half feet. For a junior high school court the narrower court is ten feet six inches.

The new basketball court of FIG. 2 provides boundaries of a narrower court within the lines 11 with all other dimensions being the same as a conventional court. The narrower court can be played as in a bifurcation of the of the game into two different categories similar to the game of tennis, single and doubles. The game provides a greater challenge in that the players are running up and down the court giving them a better workout as a form of exercise.

The full court narrow format also challenges the player's basketball skill and can translate into a learning activity which help improve performance. The full court narrower court increases the time spent running during the game improving the player's endurance and stamina. The narrower court also makes it more challenging and enjoyable for playing a full court two on two game. The narrower court makes it more challenging and enjoyable for playing a full court three on three game. The narrower court makes it more challenging and enjoyable for playing a full court four on four game. The narrower court can be an incentive for people to exercise since merely jogging or running becomes boring to some people as compared to a game sport. Though there are no physical restrictions on a full court game on a court with a standard with, and millions of games of one on one basketball are played every year rarely do players play full court but opt for a half court format.

Within the reduced width area between sidelines 11 of the court of FIG. 2:

-   -   The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.     -   The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands.

On a full court with the narrow court, one on one game played on the narrower court the offensive player is further restricted by not being able to take their initial offensive shot each time down court from within the 3 second lane. The offensive player can however shoot within the three second area if they get their own rebound.

One novelty of the full court one on one on a narrower court is that it plays like a five on five game on a court with conventional boundaries. The advantages are numerous and adding the additional boundaries on a court is of little costs when creating or retrofitting existing courts.

FIG. 3 shows another exemplary basketball court with first and second side lines, inner third and fourth side lines, and a central line there between.

-   -   11 sideline     -   12 half court line     -   13 conventional sideline     -   14 basket     -   15 end line     -   16 foul line     -   17 lane line     -   18 center circle     -   20 center lane     -   21 match boundary     -   22 match boundary

The court of FIG. 3 has three additional lines 11 left, 11 right, and 20 on the court narrowing the court appropriately. This arrangement also enables playing full court as opposed to half court games to make for a more vigorous game, enhancing players skills and adding to the challenge of the contest.

In addition to FIG. 2's two additional sidelines 11 positioned inside the regular sidelines 13, FIG. 3 provides a central line 20 that divides the court into two halves: a left half and a right half. This (SCG) enables the court to play two teams with different abilities. For example, male players would be restricted to the full length of one half, and female players would play on the other half. Other combinations are possible. For example, kids can play on one half and adults on the other half. People with different ability groupings can play on different sides of the center line.

For the co-ed game, all women play on one side of the court and all men play on the other side of the court, and the rules of a conventional game apply. The court is divided down the middle of the court from basket to basket. A player is out of bounds if he or she lands in the opposite section but a player can block a shot from a player of the opposite sex if they do so with their feet in their own sex's half of the court or if they jump from their section and like conventional “out of bounds rules,” jump from inbounds. This court design can be used for full or half court games.

The center line design also develops weak hand skills and basketball dexterity is an important skill. In this mode, players with weak hand is restricted to playing one one side of the court, and players with the other weak-hand is restricted to the other side of the court.

As shown in FIG. 4, the court of FIG. 2 or 3 supports a method for playing basketball in a regular court having first and second sidelines 13 by:

-   -   providing a reduced court with third and fourth sidelines 11         within the first and second sidelines, and a central line (fifth         line) along a length of the court, wherein the third and fourth         sidelines define between 70% to 80% of the regular court;     -   selectively playing a first game type based on the central line         with two classes of players with between 4 and 16 players or a         second game type based on the third and fourth sidelines         admitting 8 or less players.

With a narrower court of FIG. 2, players can play a very playable full court game from one on one to four on four. One rule which enhances the game for one on one and two on two is to shoot on the initial shot (outside the “paint”) unless the player or a teammate gets his/her own rebound.

In the court of FIG. 3, players play either on the left or right half of the court, and players are ruled out of bounds when they land in the opposite side of the court. It's a turnover if a player goes over the center line to steal a pass, block a shot, get a rebound or shoot. As few as four and as many as sixteen players can play in a game. Rules for games played on the inventive court can include one or more of the following:

The weak hand game requires that a right hand player play on the left half of the court and vice versa for the left handed player on a court that is divided down the center from basket to basket like the co-ed game. It can also be used for full or half court games. The ball is still in play if it goes into the opposite side of the court after the offensive player shoots. The game can also be played with a right and left handed player on the court at the same time. Conventional half court rules usually include bringing the ball out to the foul line. This allows the players on defense to adjust to a miss shot and the opposite hand player to begin their offensive move from their weak hand position.

The game can also be played with a rule to restrict the offensive player from shooting the initial shot on a time down court within the lane or 3 second area. After an initial attempt, subsequent shots can be shot from within the lane area. This rule does not apply to “weak hand game of (SCG)

The offensive player in the full court in a one-on-one play can shoot within the 3 second lane if they beat the defensive player over half court.

To improve a player's weak hand, players having the same weak hand type play on the same side and the players play on the side of the court opposite their strong hand. The players can retrieve a rebound even if bounces into the opposite court or if the defensive player knocks the ball into the opposite court. In full court games the player must cross the half court line into the weak hand side of the court. In half court weak hand games the player has to take the ball behind the foul line and can't begin their offense until they are in their weak hand section of the court.

For a full court one on one game the offensive players initial shot cannot be within the lane area of the court but can shoot within the area if the offensive player gets his/her own rebound. In a two on two to four on four game, the lane rule does not apply. If the offensive player beats the defensive player over half court the offensive player is not restricted from shooting in the three second area on their initial offensive shot down court.

The court design solves the problem of playing full court with less than ten players. Millions of people play the game daily and opt for a half court game but with the instant design full court is an option and is a very playable game. The method is ideal for a one on one game, and also works well for a two on two, three on three or four on four game without restricting the players to only half the court where both sides use the same basket. The system enables a full court one on one game to be enjoyable with reduced boundaries for the defensive player to cover. In tennis, the dimensions of the court are narrowed offering the offensive server more of a challenge and the defensive player less of an area to cover for returning the serve. The narrower court also is more realistic in that the ball handler in a conventional five on five game is always restricted due to the fact that there are many other players on the court and it usually doesn't make sense to dribble into an area where two people can cover the offensive player. Ball handlers generally move to areas where there are openings or where other players screen. The limited space is similar to narrowing the width of the court in the basketball singles game. The narrower court also makes for a better full court two on two, three on three and four on four game.

The instant court can be used to develop the skills of a player by focusing on the player's weak hand using the court of FIG. 3(SCG) By restricting the player to play on the opposite side of the court to their strong hand side they develop their dexterity. This is achieved by having a line down the center of the court creating a left and right side to the court. The design also achieves a co-ed court design which is efficient. The line down the center of the court allows to make for a playable co-ed game with the court of FIG. 3 (SCG)

The narrower court for games (NCG) with less than ten players makes it more challenging for the offensive player because there is less room to move within and easier to play defense since there is less area to cover. The game for full court one on one has a rule restricting the offensive player from shooting in the “paint” or three second area on their first offensive shot coming downcourt. If they get their own rebound they can shoot within the paint. Also if the offensive player beats the defensive player over half court they are allowed to on the initial shot, shoot from within the three second area.

The design is an advantage over half court games because it offers players a more realistic version of the game that resembles a official game which is always full court. The design is an advantage over half court games because it is a vigorous work out which has health related benefits.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover all modifications that fall within the true scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for playing basketball in a court having first and second sidelines and a basket located at each opposed end of the court on a long axis of the rectangle, comprising: providing a reduced court with third and fourth sidelines within the first and second sidelines, and a central line (fifth line) along a length of the court, wherein the third and fourth sidelines define an area between 70% to 80% of a regular court; and selectively playing a first game type based on the central line with two classes of players with between 4 and 16 players or playing a second game type inside the third and fourth sidelines with 8 or less players.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein playing the second game type comprises playing a co-ed game where males play one half of a full court and females play on the other half of the full court.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the game type classes are grouped by gender, age, disability, level of skill, and wherein players of similar ability play on one half of a full court.
 4. The method of claim 3, comprising penalizing players as out of play when they land in the opposite side of the court.
 5. The method of claim 3, comprising penalizing players as a turnover if a player goes over the center line to steal a pass, block a shot, get a rebound or shoot.
 6. The method of claim 3, comprising playing as few as four and as many as sixteen players can play in a game.
 7. The method of claim 3, comprising grouping players based on a player's weak hand, wherein players having the same weak hand type play on the same side of the full court.
 8. The method of claim 3, comprising grouping players based on player's weak hand, wherein players are on a side of the court opposite their strong hand.
 9. The method of claim 3, wherein a player retrieves a rebound or loose ball even if it bounces into the opposite court or if a defensive player knocks a ball into the opposite side of the full court.
 10. The method of claim 3, comprising grouping players based on player's weak hand, wherein the players cross a half court line into a weak hand side of the court.
 11. The method of claim 3, comprising grouping players based on player's weak hand, and for half court weak hand games, the players take the ball behind a foul line and cannot begin an offense play until the players are in their weak hand section of the court.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second game type classes in a full court one on one game, comprising taking an initial shot within the area where an offensive player gets the player's own rebound.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein playing the second game type comprises allowing an offensive player to shoot in a three second area on an initial offensive shot down court if the offensive player beats a defensive player over half court.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein playing the second game type comprises suspending the lane rule for a two on two to four on four game.
 15. A method of playing a basketball game, comprising: providing two opposing teams, each having from one to four players, respectively, on a substantially narrowed rectangular basketball court, the court having a basket located at each opposed end of the court on a long axis of the rectangle, wherein boundaries of the court are narrowed on a short axis of the rectangle to substantially between 70% and 80% of a full court short axis; and playing the basketball game.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the boundaries of the court are substantially narrowed on a short axis of the rectangle by at least a foot of a conventional court width, by a width of a side of a 3 second lane.
 17. The method of claim 15, comprising providing a center line parallel to the long axis to split the court into two halves and positioning two groups, each with different abilities on one half of the court.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the width of the side of the 3 point line is about 22 feet, 21.75 feet, 21.65, or 19.75 feet.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the basketball game is played with a rule to restrict an offensive player form shooting an initial shot on a play within a 3 second lane area or within a 3 point area.
 20. The method of claim 16, wherein the long axis of the rectangle of the court is about 94 feet and the short axis of the rectangle of the court is about 44 feet to about 49 feet, or the long axis of the rectangle of the court is about 91.86 feet and the short axis of the rectangle of the court is about 43.30 feet to about 48.21 feet, or the long axis of the rectangle of the court is about 84 feet and the short axis of the rectangle of the court is about 43.50 feet to about 49 feet, or the long axis of the rectangle of the court is about 74 feet and the short axis of the rectangle of the court is about 39.50 feet to about 41 feet. 